NAMASLAY NYC

A four-series journey that brought together the talents and efforts of designers, photographers, artists, and creatives of the South East Asian community in hopes to inspire conversation through beautiful imagery.

Sharing a few unpublished photos, some BTS video footage, and thoughts by the crew that made this project come to life.

"NamaslayNYC was not merely about beautiful images, but about representing and uniting artists/creatives of the South Asian community amongst the current social climate. It soon developed into an exploration of the "why" - Why were there so few creatives from the community in the space? Was there a social stigma against being in the arts? Were we not empowering one another enough? We aimed to provoke a conversation, one that may spark a change or provide inspiration. So if this project inspired you, challenged your thoughts or gave you something to converse with one another about, well, we have succeeded."

"NamaSlayNYC for me was about sharing apart of myself I didn’t normally share on social media. Being mixed race as well as American it was always hard for me to identify who I am and where I came from. NamaSlayNYC allowed me to find other South Asians who were trying to find who they were and their voice in the creative world."

"This project showcased the power of community. NamaslayNYC brought together several talents from various creative backgrounds and allowed us to work towards a common artistic goal while highlighting relevant and important social messages. It was inspiring to say the least, to learn from these creatives and revive a part of myself that I hadn't been able to tap in to for a long while, after pursuing a career in healthcare. In addition, I was able to explore new creative channels, given that the performing arts had been my primary form of artistic expression. Ultimately, I hope NamaslayNYC is able to showcase the value of community amongst creatives, and what we can build when we come together."

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

"The project's goal was to represent what has felt like an invisible portion of the desi community. Our history is rooted in the way we've established ourselves as artists in any manner of artisan form, and NamaslayNYC serves to showcase the presence of desi individuals who have continued to dedicate their lives to art."

"NamaslayNYC was an empowering opportunity to share a glimpse of the identity of South Asian New Yorkers during a time where the voice of the South Asian creative community in NYC was very small and lacking in visual representation across many mediums. It was a privilege to work with so many talented and likeminded individuals to come up with a visual narrative of our diverse experiences as creatives in New York. The project was a priceless experience as it helped me discover a deeper understanding of my identity within the South Asian diaspora as well as that of my peers. I hope that we were not only able to encourage and inspire others to share and explore their stories but also promote unity within the South Asian community."

"One of the few projects I've taken on that truly showcases the collaborative efforts of South Asians in New York. In a time when being politically and culturally relevant is on the forefront more than ever before, these projects draw visibility and make these efforts come to life in our own small way. Kudos to the amazing team behind it that gives this one yet another avenue for self-expression"